Mussels

Remember the mussels that I mentioned before in the Bouchon post... well these are the definition of what I love! Savoy, mildly spicy broth/sauce with steamed mussels. Serve with a little of everything. Fresh pesto made from basil picked from the garden on toast, strawberries from the stand down the road, padron peppers sauteed and served with salt, and steamed buns from the Oakland Korea Town. What a great family meal this turned out to be.

Bouchon - Yountville

The same week we went to Cantinetta, Eric has some friend from Chicago in town. And for a special "birthday" treat they took us out to Bouchon. Like Cantinetta, I had only been before for drinks (are you seeing a pattern here?). But I had heard great things from other people who had gone before. Plus, it's Thomas Keller. The same Thomas Kelller of French Laundry fame, which is actually right down the street. One day, I will get to eat there. If it's the last thing I do...

Anyways, back to Bouchon. Started off with a glass of sparkling. Delicious bread made next door at the Bouchon bakery with soft butter and pistachios. More ears of bread please!!



The atmosphere is very french cafe. A bit too dark for my taste and maybe the palm tree in the middle of the room was a bit off putting. But then again, that may have just been me because I was sitting closest to it and it kept tickling my ear.


To go with sparkling wine you MUST have oysters. I mean come on, do you think we are savages??? Half a dozen for $18. On the pricey side, but the best oysters I have had bar none. I loved how they were all from different locations and different types. Plus the raw bar was right next to our table so we were able to see them shucked just to our left.



Mussels were fantastic as well. I do like mine hot in a broth of stew, but this was delicious as well. I just wasn't falling over by the amazingness like I was with the oysters.

Charcuterie plate. The one thing I have noticed when people come from out of town to eat is how snotty we are starting to sound. There are things on this plate that would have been unpronounceable a few years ago, but Eric knows how to make now. The cured meats were fantastic. Everytime I have great meat I remember why I will never be a vegetarian again.



Great pick by the som. Told him we wanted something in the $30 range. He didn't balk at all, which was nice because of all the high priced wines they do have on their list.


Soft shell crab with lobster. My first experience with soft shell crab. Apparently, it is only available during certain times of the year because a soft shell is actually a normal crab that has grown out of it shell and had shed it. They are caught during the brief period of time where they are between homes, per say. Delicious, but still weird to eat crab legs with what appears to be it's "clothes" on.


Eric got the steak frites. Be still my heart. French fries fried in duck fat. Best fries I have ever had, and that is not a statement I made when I was drunk and hungry. Little slab of herbed butter on the steak. I'm pretty sure I though Eric had passed out because he was quiet for so long enjoying his classically french entree.

All in all, grrrrreat time at Bouchon. Service was on top of anything we needed and they never made us feel rushed or like we were being a nuisance. I hope I get to go back again soon.



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August Cheers to Taste - Jarvis

Entrance to Jarvis

Every month, the Wednesday before Cheers! St. Helena is dedicated to an event called Cheers to Taste. The premise being that every month a different winery pony's up their space to hold a "Hospitality Event" within their walls. So when I heard that August was going to be at Jarvis, I thought "Cool, I haven't been there yet!". Basically I use these events to check out places that I wouldn't normally go to, or have time to visit. The networking part really isn't my preferred method of mingling. Anyways, little did I know what I was in store for at this month's event.

Barrels of wine

Turns out, the whole winery is underground. Maybe not a go-to for people who are claustrophobic, but still pretty cool. Basically we walked in, got a name tag and a personal light so we could give ourselves the self guided tour if we so desired.

Heading to the tank room

So here is where a combo of good and bad happened. We were greeted with a glass of wine (good) and then grabbed a bite of celery and cheese (could have been good, was very bad). I'm not sure where the idea to pair celery with fromage blanc (think melted string cheese) came from, but someone should have put a stop to it from the get go. It was mushy and bland, it needed flavor, salt, anything else!

Nikki with her light in front of the giant floral doors

Tank Room

So we continued through the tank room. So far, I haven't seen any other winery with all of their equipment underground, but I can't imagine it being much more of a hassle than having your equipment in an enclosed building. Plus, it looked pretty cool.

PotC'esque waterfall

Alright, check it out. So there was a waterfall in the caves. A freaking WATERFALL! How cool is that?! And yet it totally reminded me of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. Both are dark, dank, and smell like chlorinated water. Napa truly is the Disneyland for adults.

Cuvee casks

These casks were right next to my favorite station only because it had the wine I liked the most, 2003 Merlot. Good wine, but the pulled pork sandwich was not. And yet another swing and a miss on the catered food.

Peace out!

The rest of the winery wasn't very exciting. Just two large rooms where they hold "winery events". Oh, and accordion players and giant crystals. *shrug* All in all, it was kind of a weird experience. BUT I would recommend it to someone that was visiting the valley that wanted to go to a unique place. To see all the equipment and have the "cave" experience would be cool for most people.

Morimoto Napa

Lounge Menu @ Morimoto Napa

For our third anniversary Eric and I decided to go to Morimoto Napa. Not only did the restaurant open only a few short weeks before. But they were also offering an Industry (food & wine personnel) Discount on all Lounge Menu items until July 31st. So we figured we'd take advantage of the 30% off (woohoo!!!) and kill two birds with one stone.

Morimoto expediting on the line

When we first parked out on 2nd street, the roads was dead. So we figured we were in for a quiet night. But once we walked into the main room, the place was buzzing with excitement. Lounge menu means you can either sit on one of the comfy looking yellow couches, at the bar, or at the sushi bar. I for one LOVE the sushi bar. It's a great place to start up a conversation with the person making your food.

Glass of Page Sauvignon Blanc

Eric and I started off by ordering drinks. Morimoto pours their own brew, has a full bar, sake, and wines by the glass and bottle (ZD Wines has their chardonnay by the glass, it's delicious with seafood).

Then after a little wait we started ordering appetizers.


First out was the Miso Soup. I have a deep love affair with Miso, the salty, warm flavor is magnetic. Morimoto miso soup was unlike any I have had before, it had a lovely "meaty" taste. The whole flavor profile made it seem so much more heartier than it appeared. And the silken tofu came in large soft chunks that I enjoyed.



Next up was the Pork Gyoza. The gyoza are actually hiding underneath the thin sheet of dough, the added surprise was the tomato based sauce the gyoza was placed on top of. It was a great mix of Italian flavors in a traditional Asian appetizer. A few days later I learned that some people flip the gyoza over and the sauce melts into the dough. Not sure how they do this, but sounds fun!


Third and final appetizer was the Bone Marrow. With a crust of spices and teriyaki sauce, this one was SPICY! The wasabi cleared out my sinuses, but I couldn't stop eating.


Sushi! This had Yellow tail, Salmon, and Tuna. Tuna should always come with a slice of lime, I am now convinced. Beautiful, fresh fish. The majority comes straight from Japan. Honestly, it's so great to have GOOD sushi in Napa. No more mediocre sushi for me!


More Tuna, Salmon, and Golden Big Eye Snapper. My first time having snapper, and it was delicious. We had already eaten a piece of it by the time I remembered to take a picture.


The man himself sitting at the end of the bar, having a beer and some sashimi.

Prices of apps are pretty normal for Napa. Nothing was totally outrageous. But the sushi prices were great! $4-7 for two pieces of amazingly fresh fish. We will be back. Mostly to sit at the sushi bar again and have some rolls and the Tuna Pizza that I've heard to much about. And hopefully someday soon I will be able to do the Morimoto Omasake (chef's menu). It would be such a treat!

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Carpe Diem - Downtown Napa

My day off falls on Saturday. Which ends up being interesting because I consider it Tourist Day here in Napa. I've come to notice that on those days I am not treated like a "local". The vibe is more of what someone would get that day here on vacation. That has it's pluses and minuses. Allison, a good friend I've made out here, and I had earlier in the day gone to Rubicon for a glass of sparkling and ended up starving. I suggested Carpe Diem, as it's the new kid in town and neither one of us had been. The vibe when we walked in was really courteous and warm. The menu is full of delicious sounding foods, from apps to flatbreads and deserts. I would consider it more of a small plates bar. Allison and I got the works cheese and charcuterie board and harissa fries.




Let me just say that this was the best cheese/meat board I've had in the valley so far. Better than Auberge even, well the cheese at least. Everything was a really good price, especially for downtown. I will be reccomending this place all the time!

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Open Homes

Just last Sunday some coworkers and friends got together at my Tasting Room manager's newly renovated home for a "Housewarming". Party started at 4, so when I got there after work at 6 the wine was flowing and food was being passed around. One of my favorite things about parties out here is that it is second nature for everyone to bring a bottle to share. Pretty soon you end up with 5, 9, or more!






In addition, it was also a paella cookout. Jason made "vegetarian" paella for Yesenia, who doesn't eat meat but does eat seafood.



The rest of us ate from a much bigger paella pan headed by Curtis himself. Food was delicious and the wine was of all varietals and countries. All in all, a great night with some fun people who like good wine.

Hana Sushi - Rohnert Park

Martini House - Cellar Menu

Martini House is a rustic, stone restaurant that has the appearance of a house deep in the forest. Run by Pat Kuleto and Todd Humphries, the Martini House was orginally built in 1923 as the home of Walter Martini and his wife Dionisia. During the 20's Martini bootlegged whisky and wine, which he ran out of his cellar.
The cellar has it's own menu, much like a bar menu. In addition to small and medium bites, you can also order the family meal downstairs. Family meal occurs every Sunday-Thursday from 5-7pm.
On the particular day we went, I ordered off of the cellars regular menu. I ordered the mushroom soup and beef carpaccio. Both equally delicious.



The beef carpaccio is something that I probably would not have tried if I had not moved to Napa, something about raw beef in the desert and all. But I am so happy to have experianced the deliciousness of this dish. It is crunchy in all the right ways and comes topped with a bit of crushed Himalayan truffles.
The mushroom soup rivals the one made at a great family style meal at a friends house not to long ago. The soup is creamy and velvety, while not leaving you feeling like you're eating baby food. And the bread that they provide at your table is great to have that bit of crunch.
I can't wait to go back to Martini House, especially to try the Pho soup that they have on their family meal menu. Hopefully I can make it there before they switch it out!


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Mumm Napa

Since I am going to the city for new years eve, I've decided to pick up a bottle of sparkling. Mumm Napa has been one of those places I've always wanted to try, especially sine I work right next door.
In retrospect, picking the eve before NYE may not have been the best of ideas to visit a big sparkling wine producer. Mumm Napa was BUSY. The servers were off and on, some were great and others were mediocre. But that's expected when you go into a tasting alone and on a "trade" visit. In the business, those visits are usually comped and most trade doesn't end up buying anything.
I decided the try the Mumm Napa Classics. A Blanc de blanc, Brut prestige, and Brut Rose.


Please ignore the fact that I'm a total dork with my USB drive attached to my keys, I lose things easily.

The Blanc de Blanc was very nice. With hints of green apple and a bit of tart. It also wasn't as fizzy as the other two, which I liked.

The Brut Prestige was sweeter than the first with tones of honeysuckle. It also had a bit more alcohol on the nose and mouth.

The Brut Rose was sweet like the other Brut. It felt a bit meatier with more of a mouthful feel.

My personal favorite was the Blanc de Blanc. Which also means it is what I will be taking to our friends house for NYE.

Happy New Years everyone! Sorry I haven't written on here recently, but I'm making it a goal to make an entry at least weekly. Napa valley has too many wineries and food places to offer to not share them with everyone!
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Life, a post

Let's see... with in the last two weeks I quit one of my two jobs and picked up a new job working weekends at a winery. ZD winery to be specific (thanks Jason!). I'll mostly be pouring wine to those ever present tourists and daycationers. I'm really excited about this new job experience, I went in earlier this week do to paperwork and within the first hour I met the matriarch, Rosa Lee deLeuze, and she invited me to go to Hot October Nights. So I now have 60$ tickets for me and my plus one (Eric). The deLeuze family (aka the D in ZD) pays for their employees to go to events, and the late Norman deLeuze was a huge supporter for the Kiwanis Club (community organizers, gasp!). Hot October Nights is a fundraising event for the Kiwanis with a silent auction, but it also includes a live band, BBQ/Oyster bar, and wine tasting from various wineries. The event is October 10th, and if it's anything like the last wine event I went to, i'll be sure to bring my camera for some eventful picture taking.

All in all, life out here is getting a little easier. I'm not working as much as I was two weeks ago, I feel like I can sit down and breathe.

Las Palmas, yes please

I feel like my life has been lacking in the Mexican food department. Last week, after being foiled on a sandwich run, Eric and I tried out a place that we hadn't been to before, Las Palmas. Napa's Mexican food selection varies from the Taco Truck to the $20 plate of 2 tacos. This place falls somewhere in the middle. Sadly, the taco shops are nothing near the caliber of what Tucson has to offer. I feel like Tucson spoiled all cheap Mexican food for the rest of my life. Nico's Super Nachos, I will never forget you. And if you think i'm going to pay $20+ dollars for a taco plate then you're off your rocker. I'll just save the cash and use it as gas money to go see my mom, her food is way more worth it.

Anyways, Las Palmas is in the warehouse district, which in Napa means it's two blocks away from downtown. Don't let it's proximity to the Feed Store scare you, you won't find any hay bales or leftover baby animals in here. Las Palmas is right next door to Las Palmas meat and seafood market, both owned by the same person. The Chef has about 15 years of experience working as Chef du Cuisine in the North Bay. Usually I go the safe route at new Mexican food places, but since they have their own butchery I took a risk (for me) and got the fish tacos.

The tacos were tilapia sautéed in white wine, onions, and diced tomatoes. They were good. Everything tasted fresh and made to order, instead of most places where things taste like they've been sitting around in a vat for a while.
Eric got the Chile Verde. Really good, really spicy.

They also had the best horchata i've had since moving out here. How i've missed you horchata! I'd go back just for their horchata. The patio is really nice, but like everywhere in Napa, watch out for the Wasps.

Ubuntu - Anniversary Dinner

For our second anniversary Eric and I planned on going to Ubuntu. For those that have never heard of it, Ubuntu is a farm-to-table vegetarian based restaurant headed by Chef Jeremy Fox and his Pastry Chef (wife) Deanie Fox. Along with the restaurant, Ubuntu also includes a yoga studio and a biodynamic garden.

The inside of Ubuntu. Upstairs is the yoga studio, which you can see into when your dinning through the windows. There is a bar to the left and the hot prep area is in the back. The rest of the kitchen is behind doors between the bar and the hot prep station.
We started off the meal with Crispy Beet Green Fritters. The horseradish creme was paired really well with this dish.
The menu, which changes depending on what is in season in their garden. Everyday they print out new menus, with a lunch and dinner version.
I made Eric dress up for dinner.

Benzinger Salad: cucumbers and smoked eggplant. Probably one of my favorite dishes. The miso bathed cucumber was totally aligned with my taste-buds.
Heirloom Tomatoes, simply sliced, "polka" corn pudding. My least favorite dish of the meal, but still good. I love tomatoes, but for me it was too sweet. I felt that it needed something more savory to balance it out.
Expression of Summer Squash, scented with Vadouvan. Another great dish. The squash wasn't too soft or too hard. And the broth had a nice summer "hearty" taste.
Homemade gnocchetti pasta with split French beans. This dish was Italian with a strong Middle Eastern influence. Delicious, smelled and tasted a bit like perfume, but the kind you'd like to eat.
Desert was "Cheesecake" with a berry preserve. The rolls were honey crisps with powdered sugar. Now I generally dislike cheesecake, but this wasn't as cheesy as some or as sweet as others that i've had before.

All in all I give this place two huge thumbs up! Great food, interesting atmosphere. I do think that they need more servers, because they were running around like chickens with their heads cut off when they started to get busier. I'll be back here again in the Fall, I've heard that their baked cauliflower casserole is spectacular.